In his lifetime, Alberto Giacometti was interested in the progress of facsimile techniques to help with the dissemination of his work. Unfortunately, the quality of the facsimiles of drawings made at the time was very high, and it often happens that such facsimiles are fraudulently sold as the artist’s original drawings. Today, and since 1966, his beneficiaries do not permit the publication of facsimiles, this in order to avoid any confusion.

FACSIMILES EDITED BY EINAUDI

The album of facsimiles « Quarantacinque disegni di Alberto Giacometti » has been published in 1963 (printed on November 22). The edition has been published on 1245 copies. The first 100 include an original lithography by Alberto Giacometti, numbered and signed, done especially for this edition. The 45 facsimiles (high quality reproductions, by special process of photoengraving) are done from original drawings.

Nota bene: none of these facsimiles can be called a print or a drawing. They must not be offered for sale or exhibition as such.

[PDF] List of facsimiles edited by Einaudi

LITHOGRAPHS and FACSIMILES EDITED BY MAEGHT

Alberto Giacometti drew several original lithographs for Derrière le miroir, the lavish magazine published by art dealer Aimé Maeght (Maeght Editeur, Paris, 1946-1985).

Beware: Two issues of this magazine were reprinted. The reprints may bear the following mention on the last page : « 2eédition »:

● Double number 39-40, June-July 1951

● Number 127, May 1961

Reprinting was made through the use of « phototypy », a high quality process of photographic reproduction from the original lithographs. Therefore, the reprinted images are reproductions of lithographs and not lithographs per se. Dimensions are the same as the original lithographs.

Several issues of Derrière le miroir were illustrated with facsimiles (i.e. reproductions) of Alberto Giacometti’s drawings in pencil :

● Number 65, May 1954: 7 facsimiles.

● Number 98, June 1957: 8 facsimiles.

[PDF] List of fasimiles edited by Maeght

The facsimiles are printed on full page, most of them in the dimensions of the magazine, i.e. 38 x 28 cm, on strong white paper, occasionally turning off-white or yellow in time. They can sometimes be identified by the presence of a printed text on the reverse, but not necessarily, as there were specific editions of these reproductions alone.

FACSIMILES PRODUCED AFTER 9 DRAWINGS OF ALBERTO GIACOMETTI SHOWING HENRI MATISSE

In 1954 Alberto Giacometti drew in pencil a series of about thirty portraits of Henri Matisse on wove paper measuring circa 45 to 50 cm high and 30 to 32 cm wide.

At least 9 of these drawings were reproduced through a facsimile proces invented by the printer Daniel Jacomet, for a book to be published by the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York. The book was never published and all the facsimiles were removed from the market by the widow for infringement of her copyrights.

The facsimiles display a high craftsmanship. None of them shows the artist’s signature. The drawings are reproduced in a slightly larger scale than the original on Arches wove paper sheets of two sizes: circa 50 x 32 cm and circa 50 x 35 cm. All bear the vertical watermark : « ARCHES REPRODUCTION D. JACOMET. » None of these reproductions were ever part of a limited or numbered edition.

[PDF] List of facsimiles after portraits of Henri Matisse